Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History at The College of Idaho

The Dancers with Talking God

The Dancers with Talking God is a painting from the Navajo ceremonial
Night Chant. The first figure on the left of the painting is Soft Talker
or Talking God, who wears a headdress of eagle feathers and owl plumes,
and carries a bag made from the skin of a tree squirrel. The other seven
figures are dancers, wearing round masks, and carrying spruce boughs in
one hand and gourd rattles in the other.

All seven of these deities wear earrings and chest pendants
symbolic of wealth and power. Their medicine pouches vary as do the ornamental
designes of their skirts.

The painting is protected on three sides by a simple rainbow
border. In ceremonial usage, this painting is most frequently done with
a double row of dancers.